Used car prices on average fell 4.5 percent in April, but just 0.5 percent for the late-model vehicles most buyers seek as a cheaper alternative to a new car.

Written by

Chris Woodyard
| USA Today

After rising since the recession and hitting record highs, used car prices are easing, and the trend will continue, experts say.

Overall, used-car prices fell 4.5 percent on average in April at the wholesale level, compared with the same month last year, reports Adesa Consulting. After shooting to peaks each spring over the past three years, "They had almost no where else to go but down," said Adesa analyst Tom Kontos.

But the bad news for now is that prices for good, late-model used cars aren't falling much, even though new-car sales now are booming and trade-ins are coming in. That's because ...